Dispensing apparatus



Jan. l, 1929.

W. E.' DOUGHTY DIsPENsING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 1, 1929.

W. E. DOUGHTY DISPENSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheef` 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1927 Patented Jan. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. DOUGHTY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES VERNOR COM- PANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION vF MICHIGAN.

DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Application led October 3, 1927. Serial No. 223,685.

This invention relates to dispensing' apparatus and more particularly to improvements in apparatus of this character finding especial utility in dispensing carbonated beverages and the like.

It is generally customary in dispensing carbonated beverages to provide a tank or other source of supply of the beverage under high pressure and to conduct this high pressure beverage to a container or the like constituting a settling chamber where a. large proportion of the gas is freed and permitted to escape whereby the resulting low pressure beverage may bedispensed without an objectionable amount of foam.

` One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide automatic means for controlling the amount of beverage admitted to the settling chamber and for likewise autochamber.

Another primary object of this invention is to provide means for equalizing the pressure in the settling chamber and dra-ft arm whereby the beverage in the draft arm may be maintained, during the inactive periods of the apparatus, at a level substantially equal to the level of the beverage in the settling chamber to thus be below the level of the cooling medium. In this manner the beverage in the draft arm is maintained at the same temperature as the beverage in the settling chamber and a glass of properly chilled beverage may therefore be dispensed irrespective of the length of the inactive periods of the apparatus. Other objects and advantages of the invention are the result of the novel construction, combination and arrangelment of parts wherein the auto-matic control features above enumerated are obtained in an efficient mannerwith a structure embodying a minimum number of parts of simple construct'on capable of being rapidly as senibled.

The several objects and advantages and the novel details of Construction of one cmbodiment of the apparatus will be made more apparent as this description proceeds` especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a View partly in vertical section and partly in elevation vof a dispensing appa- 'matically controlling the pressure and the escape of the gas accumulated in the settling v ratus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 1s an enlarged vertical sectional view through the automatic control apparatus, and

Figure 3 is ahorizontal sectional 'View taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 3-3 in Figure 2. l Referring now particularly to the drawcate like parts and more especially to Figure 1, it will be noted that there is illustrated or the like 12 constituting a source of high pressure beverage., This beverage flows through a. pipe or conduit 13 tothe end 14 of a cooling coil 154 which for the sake of compactness may be coiled around the settling chamber 11,` the end'of the coil 15 connectmg with a strainer 16 which in turn is connected to the inlet 17 ofthe control appaings wherein like reference characters indiratus indicated generally by the reference A character 18. The beverage flows through this control apparatus in a manner to be more fully hereinafter referred to and into-the settling chamber 11'. An outlet conduit 19 connects with the settling chamber 11 at the bottom thereof and communicatesiwith a draft arm or pipe 20 provided with a spigot 21 controlled by a valve 22. 1

The reference character 23 indicates generally a display chamber in which a quantity of liquid 1s trapped and into which gas from 'the settling chamber 11 is .introduced to agitate the same. The construction of the disstruction but is preferably substantially similarl to that shown and claimed in nited Sta-tes Patent No. 1,634,457 grantedaluly 5, 1927. The gas is permitted to flow from the settling chamber 1,1 by the control apparatus 18 in a manner to bemore fully hereinafter referred to, this gas escaping through outlet 24 of the control apparatus 18 and flowing through a pipe or c'onduit 25 connected: with the display chamber 23. The gas after agitating the liquid in the display chamber escapes therefrom and 'is conducted by means chamber and the valve mechanism asso-4 ciated therewith may beof any desiredconbeverage and with the gas outlet port 24- of a pipe or conduit 26 to an .agitator tube 27 located adjacent the bottom of the tank or container 10 and beneath the convolu-A tions of the coil 15. The gas issuing from the apertures in the ejector tube 27 agitates the cooling medium surrounding the convolutions of the coil 15 and effects a more eiicient circulation of the cooling medium and consequently a more rapid and complete cocing of the beverage in the cooling coil. Obviously the display chamber' may be eliminated aud the 4gas conducted directly to the ejector tube 17.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 the control apparatus will be described in detail. the device consists essentially of a casting 28 provided with a circular threaded portion 29 adaptedv for engagement with a threaded opening 30 in the top of the settling chamber 1l. The casting 28 which constitutes the body of the device is provided with an upstanding hollow portion 31 constituting a housing which as shown is open at its bottom end and is closed by means of acap 32 threaded therein. The body 28 is formed with the. inlet port 17 for the high pressure both of which have been previously referred to.

Mounted upon the body 28 is an expansible pressure operated member 33 here shown as a metallic bellows, one end thereof beings'ecured, as at 34 to the body 28 and the other end to an end plate 35. This expansible member 33 is adapted to operate a twin valve device arranged in the housing portion 31 of the body. The reference character 36 indicates one of the valve elements which is' herein shown as a cup-shaped member adapted to be brought. into registration with inlet port 17 for interrupting the flow of the high pressure beverage. This valve member 36 is secured by means of a bolt 37 to the lower end'v of a sleeve 3.8. The sleeve 38 is carried by a rod 39 which is rigidly secured to the end member 35 of the metallic bellows 33. The upper end of sleeve 38 carries the second valve element 40 which is here shown as a disc-like element formed of rubber, packingor other similar material. This valve element is adapted to close port 41 formed around rod The valve parts 36 and 40 move in unison andare normally urged downwa-rdly wherein both valves are in open position by means' of a coil spring 42 which bears'against valve element 36 on the one hand and on the other hand against a shoulder formed on a sleeve 43. This sleeve has its lower end of a diami eter such as to slidably receive and guide the sleeve 38 of the twin valve and its upper endV 44 'of a larger diameter adapted to en.

gage the inner wall of the housing 3l. Apertures 45 formed in the sleeve provide com- It will be noted that municationbetween the lower portion of chamber 46 and the upper portion thereof whereby the high pressure beverage entering inlet portion 17 will pass through chamber 46, apertures 45 and out through port 41.

This beverage then Hows, downwardly through apertures 47 formed in the body 28 and thence down into the settling chamber 11.

The cap 32 is threaded to receive the threaded end of a guide sleeve 48 in which the stem 49 of a float 50 is'located. Pivot to stem 49 as at 51 is a link 52 which is pivotally supported as at 53 upon-a stud 54threaded or otherwise secured to the body 28. Link 52 is pivotally connected as at 55 to a valve member 56 which controls port 57 which connects the interior of the settling chamber to the gas outlet port 24. The guide sleeve 48 is slotted as indicated at 58 to permit the .rise and. fall of the float 50 which movement is transmitted by means ofvlir.' 52 to the valve member 56. Thus when 1e level of the beveragein the settling chamber rises, float 50 will be raised and through link 52 will close valve 56 thus preventing the further escape of gas through port-57. In consequence of this the gas will accumulate in the upper end of the settling chamber and as the pressure increases eXpansible bellows 33 will be expanded to thus move the valve elements 36 and 40 to the position illustrated in Figure 2 wherein the flow of beverage from the'supply to the settling chamber is interrupted and the passage between the supply and the settling chamber is further posil tively sealed by the engagement of the valve element 40 with port 41.

The body 28 is provided with a restricted orifice or port 58 which communicates with the interior of the settling chamber and is connected by meansof a pipe or conduit 59 with the draft arm or pipe 20. This'port 58 is constantly open and constantly permits a restricted amount of gas to flow from the settling chamber tothe draft arm. Thus when the valve 22 of spigot 2l has been closed this gas will fill the draft Iarm up to the valve 22 and will accumulate suliicient pressure to force the beverage in the draft arm back to the level of the beverage in the settlinef chamber '11. In other' iwords by means of this orifice a pressure is obtained in the draft arm substantially equal to that in the settling chamber so that the beverage in the ber and thus below the level of the cooling v medium maintainedin the tank 10. In this way the beverage is not permitted to become warm in the draft arm so that a properly4 chilled glass of beverage may be immediately drawn irrespective of whether the apparatus has been idle for an extended period or not.

A protective casing or cap 60 is provided constituting part of the coolin lwhich encloses the'expansible member 33 to protect the same from contact incr coil and thence through filter 16 to the 17, and

inlet port 17 of the control device 18. It will be assumed that the pressure of the accumulated gas in the settling chamber is insuflicient to overcome spring 42 under which conditions valve element 36 has uncovered port valve element 40 has moved away from port 41. The beverage thereupon flows through inlet port 17, chamber 46, apertures 45 and. hrough port 41 'into the interior of the metallic bellows 33 and thence downwardly through the apertures 47 into the settling chamber. The gas freed from the high pressure beverage passes outwardly through port 57 and outlet 24 and thence through pipe 25 to the display chamber 23 and from'the top of display chamber 23 downwardly through pipe 26 through the agitator tube 27. This gas issues upwardly through the cooling medium and agitates the cooling medium particularly 1n the vicinity of the cooling coil 15 so as to eiect a more efficient cooling. This continues until the level of the beverage in the settling chamber has reached a point where float 50 is raised to thus move valve member 56 to closed position to prevent the further escape of gas from the settling chamber. When this occurs the pressure of the accumulating gas-increases to a point where expansible member 33 is acted upon to first move valve element 36 to a position where it interrupts the further entrance of high pressure beverage and to then seal port 41. By first interrupting the inflow of high pressure beverage by means of the valve element 36 valve element 40 is protected and may be made of a softer material so as to effect a more perfect seal at port 41 it being understood that valve 40 merely supplements the action of valve element 36 to more effectively prevent the inflow of high pressure beverage, in the o positionof the parts.

If, thereafter, a suiicient quantity of beverage is withdrawn through the draft arm 2O as to cause float 50 to drop-sufficiently to open valve 56 to thus reducey the pressure of the gas accumulatedin the settling chamber then spring 42 will open the twin valve and permit additional high pressure beverage to enter the settling chamber.

When valve 22 of spigot 21 of the draft arm has been closed the gas escaping from the settling chamber through restricted orifice 58 will flow through conduit 59 to the draft arm and built up a pressure therein which equalizes with the preure in the settling chamber whereupon the beverage which ordinarily will remain in the draft arm until the next withdrawal of the same is forced back downwardly in the draft arm to the level of the beverage in the settling chamber which is below the level of the cooling mev dium in the tank 10. In this way properly chilled beverage is always maintained ready for withdrawal.

The herein described construction comprises a minimum number of parts and as a consequence may be economically manufactured and assembled and installed with facility. The aperture in the upper end of the settling chamber 11 which is engaged by threaded portion 29 of the body of the device is of sufficient diameter to permit the oat 50 and the other a-ssociated parts to be invserted through this opening which is subsequently'closed when the device is screwed into place. Thus this device constitutes a closure cap for the upper end of' the settling chamber.

While an embodiment of the invention has been' illustrated and described somewhat in detail it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that many changes in the essential and all of the nonessential details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of' this invention and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. The combination with a conduit adapted to receive a fluid under pressure, of constantly operative means for establishing a back pressure 1n the conduit acting against the pressure on the iiuid therein to maintain the fluid in spaced relation to the outlet end of the said conduit.

2. The combination with a dischargecon- -duit having its inlet end in communication with a source of fluid under pressure, of Aa valve controlling the discharge of the fluid from the said conduit, and' constant-ly operative means for maintaining the fluid from the source in spaced relation to the said valve during the inoperative period of the latter.

3. The combination with a dispensing conduit having its inlet end in communication with a source of fluid to be dispensed, of means for constantly discharging a gas into `said dispensing conduit adjacent the outlet end thereof to normally maintain the fluid to be dispensed in spaced relation to the said outlet end.

4. The combination with a draft arm having its inlet end in communication with a source of liquid under pressure and having a valve adjacent its outlet end to control the discharge of the liquid therefrom, of means for constantly discharging afluid into said draft arm at a point between the said source of liquid and the said valve to maintain the liquid from the source in spaced relation to the said valve.

5. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, the combination with a settling chamber and a dra-ft arm communicating with the same, of

means for introducing a beverage into the said settling chamber and means for oonducting a portion of the gas from the said settling chamber into the said draft arm to create a back ressure in the same.

6. il). beverage dispensing apparatus including in combination a source of carbonated beverage under pressure, a chamber for separatinga portion of the gas from the said beverage, a draft arm communicating with the said chamber and meansfor conducting a portion of the gas from the settling chamber into the said draft arm.

7. The combination with a settling chamber adapted to receive a beverage under pressure, of a draft arm communicating with said settling chamber and extending above the same, and means acting to constantly maintain the beverage in the said draft arm at substantially the same level as the beverage in the said settling chamber.

8. The combination with a settling chamber adapted to contain a beverage and a gas under pressure above the said beverage, of a draft arm communicatin with the said settling chamber adjacent t e lower end thereof, and a connection between the upper portion of the said settling chamber and the outlet end of the said draft arm to equalize the pressure between the same.

9. The combination with a settling chamber provided with an opening, of a closure cap for the said opening, the said closure cap being provided with an inlet passage and an outlet passage, and means carried by the said cap for controlling the said passages.

10. The combination With a settling chamber provided with an opening, of a closure cap for the said opening, the said closure cap being provided with a beverage inlet passage and a gas outlet passage, and means carried by the said cap for controlling the said passages.

ll. The combination with a settling chamber adapted to receive a high pressure carbonated beverage and to permit settling of the same, of a closure cap for the said chamber and means carried by the said closure cap forcontrolling the supply of high pressure beverage to the chamber and for controlling-the escape of gas therefrom.

12. The combination with a settling cham# -ber, of a beverage supply conduit therefor and'a gas dischargeeonduit and a closure cap for said chamber, the said closure cap having pressure responsive means controlling said beverage supply conduit and additional means controlling said gas discharge conduit.

13. The combination with a chamber adapted to receive a high pressure beverage to permit settling of the same, of a conduit for supplying high pressure beverage to the said chamber, a second conduit for discharging gas from the chamber, a closure cap for Legnago the said chamber, means carried by the said cap for controlling the beverage supply conduit, and float actuated means carried by the said cap for controlling the gas discharge conduit.

,14. The combination with a settling chamber having a beverage inlet and a gas outlet, of a closure cap for the said chamber, a pressure controlled valve carried by the said cap for controlling the beverage inlet and a float controlled valve carried by the said cap for controlling the said gas outlet.

15. The combination with a settling chamber, of a closure cap for the same, the said cap having a beverage inlet passage and a gas outlet passage, means carried by the cap for cont-rolling said gas outlet passage and additional means carried by said cap for controlling said beverage inlet passage, said last mentioned means including a collapsible member responsive to the pressure within the said chamber, a valve stem actuated by the said collapsible member and a pair of valves carried by the said stem, one of the said valves controlling the flow of beverage through the said inlet passage and the other of the said valves controlling communication betweenl the interior of the collapsible member and the interior of the said chamber.

16. The combination with a settling chamber, of a closure cap for the same, the said cap having a beverage inlet passage and a gas outlet passage, means carried by the cap for controlling said gas outlet passage and additional means carried by said cap for controlling said beverage inlet passage, said last mentioned means including a collapsible member responsive to the pressure within the said chamber, a valve stem actuated by the said collapsible member and a pair of valves carried by the said stem, said valves being adapted to control the flow of beverage through the said inlet passage and to control communication between the interior of the collapsible member and the interior of the said chamber respectively, the valve controlling the flow of beverage through the said inlet passage being adapted to seat in advance of the valve controlling communication between the collapsible member and the said chamber.

17. The combination with a settling chamber, of a closure cap for the same, the said cap having a beverage inlet passage and a gas outlet passage, means carried by the said cap for controlling the beverage inlet passage, and additional means carried by the said cap for controlling the gas outlet passage, said last' mentioned means including a lever pivoted to the said cap, a float carried by the free end of the said lever, and a valve carried by the said lever adapted to seat against the end of the said gas outlet passage.

18. The combination with a settling chamber adapted to receive a high pressure beverage to permit settling of the same and a draft arm communicating with the said chamber, of a beverage supply conduit, a gas discharge conduit, a closure cap for the said chamber, the said closure cap having mechanism for controlling both ofvsaid conduits and also having a constantly open passage communieating with the interior of said chamber, and a conduit for connecting the last mentioned passage With the said draft arm.

19. In apparatus of the class described, a settling chamber, means for introducing a beverage therein, a draft arm and means for introducing gas from said settling chamber into said draft arm to equalize the pressure in said chamber and draft arm.

20. In apparatus of the class described, a settling chamber, a beverage supply conduit, a gas discharge conduit, and a control device connected to said conduits and including float actuated means for controlling said gas conduit and pressure actuated means for controlling said beverage conduit, said control device being secured as a unit to said settling chamber and constituting a lclosure cap therefor. K n

21. A beverage dispensing apparatus including in combination, a settling chamber adapted to contain a carbonated beverage, a a draft arm connected to said chamber and means for constantly admitting a predeter- 4 mined amount of gas from said chamber'to said draft arm to substantially equalize the pressures in said chamber and draft arm during the inoperative period of the latter.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM E. DOUGHTY. 

